Saving the Shoremont: New owner ‘really just liked the building’

The latest Land Use Information Bulletin from the city brought word that the proposal to renovate the interior of the Shoremont Apartments on Alki is proceeding – it’s been determined no environmental review is needed. You’ll recall the twin apartment buildings were once proposed for demolition, to make way for an ultra-modern development planned 3 years ago; then foreclosure led to new ownership. This morning, we talked for the first time with new owner Dennis Schilling, who tells WSB he bought the Shoremont because he has “always liked small brick buildings … I thought (these) were pretty interesting.” More about his plans, ahead:

“I do apartments, and occasionally, I buy one and try to fix it up,” Schilling told us during our phone conversation. “The goal is to pretty much leave them (as they are) as much as I can, to the extent the city will let me do that.”

That does not mean leaving the 88-year-old apartments at 2464 Alki SW in their current state of neglect. Schilling says he is hoping first to “get a roof on” the building, and in the meantime, he is going by frequently, and taking care of some of the exterior problems. Just a few weeks ago, he says, he and his wife and son were there pulling blackberry bushes and doing some other cleanup; he says he hopes to get a dumpster onto the property soon, for more cleanup.

Inside, he has “to bring everything up to current codes … (including) earthquake compliance.” That means some exterior changes on the rear side of the buildings: “Some windows will disappear on the back because they are too ‘open,’ we need to have some shear wall, if the building moved” in case of a quake.

And as the applications we’ve noted suggested, he wants to change them back to what they were originally built as, two four-unit buildings (some years back, two of the units in each building were consolidated into one), and then they will be rented out.

As for a timetable: “Everything has been turned in to the city right now,” though the review process is not a speedy or simple one, but he believes the city “want(s) this to happen as well.” Schilling adds that he’s hoping they will “let me get going sooner rather than later.”

He reiterated that he’s not in this particular project to make money: “This is not a high return; if I make anything on it, it’ll be 20 years” in the future. “I really just liked the building.”

And if you have any ideas for it, Schilling said, he’s “open to input.”

Dennis, I do hope you get a nice return even if it’s a long term proposition. That building really contributes to the ambience of W. Seattle and Alki. Thanks for preserving and upgrading it – you’re a mensch.

Yea!! This is such a cool building and we are slowly losing that old world character that makes W. Seattle so lovely! I love to hear of a developer who appreciates interesting architecture and is trying to keep it alive. I hope everything goes well for this plan. I’ve always hoped someone would save that building!

Straw is much more flexible than brick. Let’s build a replacement from straw! Oh wait. . . . . .how does straw hold up to wind and wolves? Maybe we should use wood for a replacement! Oh wait. . . . . wood burns. Way to go Dennis – it’s a cool building – don’t listen to the naysayers.

I thought I was going to make it through an entire “development” comments thread without a single complaint. Who could be against fixing up an eyesore and keeping the original charm? But alas, “D. Wulkan” is here to keep us all honest.

This is great news! Can’t wait to watch its progress. (Dennis, do photograph the project — and keep notes — we need more books about saving iconic buildings–especially in communities like West Seattle!

Ask for volunteers to help with the yard clean-up.
It’s a neat building.
Folks care about it and the neighborhood.
As to those in fear of the ‘earthquake’,
believe me when I say,
if it is your time, you’re gonna go, earthquake or not.

Way to go, Dennis. I’ve run by this building almost every day for the past 9 years and I’m thrilled that it will retain it’s charm and character. Thank you for honoring the building’s story and preserving a bit of Alki’s history.

My personal vision for this property would be to do something like a mini-McMenamins – a small cafe/pub downstairs and a few hotel rooms upstairs. That way the public can enjoy the historic property, and visiting friends would have a fun place to stay in the neighborhood. With the water-taxi/shuttle, it would even be good for downtown access. Of course, that’s an entirely different type of business operation.

2 much whine, I agree with you, though straw in a highly compressed form makes for an excellent building material. High R factor, non-flammable, good sound insulation, quickly renewable (usually trash) resource.

Wonderful to hear! There are two great programs (special valuation and federal investment tax credits) to help offset the costs of rehabilitating old buildings. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation can help with guidance on both of these. Check with their field director Chris Moore.

Dennis you are like the shoremont, unique in your own special way. Thank you for safe-keeping what’s left of our beautiful & historic architecture. I wish there were more people like you who cared about craftmanship & charm over ugly & cheap. Looking forward to seeing the building updates & the gardens. Good luck!

How wonderful! I love this building and it is so refreshing to see someone purchase an old building because they appreciate it – and not for its land value. They don’t build them like this anymore. Thank you to Dennis for your vision.

This is such good news! I drove by there a couple of weekends ago with a friend visiting from California and I was a bit embarrassed because she had been raving about how cool it was in Seattle with all the old houses/buildings and eclectic architecture (she lives in Silicon Valley). I assumed they were going to be torn down like so much of West Seattle to make way for mixed use condo development. It really makes me happy to see a piece of West Seattle saved after hearing about Charlestown Cafe closing today…